The Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) has said it had called off its strike in the alleged rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at a hospital in Kolkata following a meeting with Union Health Minister JP Nadda. A delegation of FORDA met with Union Health Minister Nadda at his residence on August 13.
The meeting resulted in the acceptance of all demands put forth by FORDA. The association said the decision to end the strike, from August 14, was taken in the interest of the welfare of patients. "All demands as written in the letter accepted by Health Minister in a meeting that just ended," it said.
The key outcomes of the meeting include FORDA's participation in a newly formed committee focused on the Central Healthcare Protection Act. With these agreements in place, FORDA has announced that all medical services will resume normal operations starting from August 14.
The strike, which had affected hospitals across West Bengal, was triggered by the tragic incident involving a trainee doctor at a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata. Junior doctors had rallied for justice, emphasising the urgent need for a resolution.
Earlier on August 13, the Calcutta High Court intervened decisively in the case, ordering a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the rape and murder incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court has mandated that all relevant documents be handed over to the CBI immediately.
The court's intervention follows severe criticism of the West Bengal government over the handling of the case. The court condemned the incident as "gruesome" and noted attempts to cover it up, with initial reports inaccurately labelling it as a suicide. On August 12, several government-run hospitals in the national capital went on an indefinite strike after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered while on duty at the RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, West Bengal.